Peranakan Museum

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Sat - Thur 10am - 7pm

Fri 10am - 9pm

Peranakan Museum

The Peranakan Museum houses an excellent collection of antiques, textiles, and artifacts over three floors in a beautiful heritage building that in and of itself is something to behold—it was constructed in 1912 as the Tao Nan School in an exciting mash-up of architectural styles. The exhibition space showcases treasures from Peranakan homes and daily life in 10 permanent galleries. Peranakan culture, which sprang up in Singapore and elsewhere in the former Straits Settlements when Chinese traders married into wealthy Malay families, gave rise to a unique cuisine, type of dress, and home decor that are still an important part of many Singapore families’ traditions today.

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Peranakan Museum

With a few hours to spare , I followed a friend's advice and visited the Peranakan Museum. Sized just right for a quick walk through the cultural traditions and history of the Peranakan -- the descendants of Chinese, Indian, and Muslim merchants and other expats who travelled to Singapore, married, and settled down. My favorite was the second floor gallery featuring the 12-day marriage ceremony, including the many rituals that blessed the colorful wedding night bed. If you have extra time, stroll the nearby gardens at Fort Canning Park.

Peranakan Museum

A small museum housed in a beautiful three-story schoolhouse from the early 1900s, the Peranakan Museum comes as a revelation to those who aren't familiar with Singapore's unique Malay-Chinese Peranakan culture. Well-to-do Peranakan homes featured exquisite furniture, examples of which are on display, as are fine embroidery and jewelry.